Knockdown pool



. w SJZ. .1. P. HOOPER 1,740,303

KNOCKDOWN POOL Filed Feb l5, 1929 2 sheets-snm l Dec. 17, 1929., 1F. 'HOOPER 1,740,303

KNOCKDOWN POOL Filed Feb. 15. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheer 2 'Patented Dee. 17, i929 narran srArns PAT-ENT carica JAMES F. HOOPER, F RUXTON, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO WM. E. HOOER & SONS COMPANY, OF'BAL'IIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND KNOCKDOWN POOL Application filed February 15, 1929. Serial No. 340,072.

The invention relatesto a porta-ble wading or swimming pool of the knock down variety which consists in the preferred form of a flexible fabric or similar cover and a metal frame and can be reduced in its knocked down condition to a relatively small package. The cover is preferably in the form of a single flat piece of material which need therefore have no seams, the excess material at the corners being in the preferred form of the inv vention folded, or folded and rolled and vheld in any suitable manner as by inserting the rolled fasteners in the upright corner members ofthe frame.

The pool structure in the preferred form of the invention alsolincludes top rail sections which may be secured to the edges of the cover, their ends being spaced inwardly from the corners. The top rail sections and 2o the corner uprights are connected at the upper ends of the latter by corner braclrets secured to all 'their members so proportioned that the entire construction, including the cover and thetop rail members, may be packu aged by folding the cover and bringing Vthe top rail members together, laying them side by side and rolling the folded canvas about the top rail members. To produce this result, the pool being assumed to be rectangular, the short side of the canvas should be at least as long as the longest top rail member and preferably the difference between the two rail members where they are not joined is equal to the depth of the pool.

lWhile the structure may be embodied in a comparatively deep pool, if desired, it is preferably applied to the shallow pools generally used and known as wading pools. In the accompanying` drawing I have illustrated a knock down pool embodying` the feature of my invention in the preferred form.

ln the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view showing the pool assembled, the corner folds of the ycover being indicated in dottedlines in the position which they assume prior to rolling. Three of these corners are broken away Afor convenience of illustration, but the fourth .corner shows the full length of the fold.

Figure 2 is an elevation looking at the long side of the poolunder the saine conditions as are representcdin Figure l.

Figure 3 is an end elevation showing the pool assembled.

Figure 4 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevation of a corner upright looking at the slotted side.

Figure 6 is an elevation of a corner bracket or cap, also looking at the slot.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7.-7 in Figure 3, also on an enlarged scale.

Figure 8 is a section on the line '8-'8, F igure '7.

Figure 9 is a plan of 'the 4flexible container or cover spread fla-t and having the top rails secured thereto, the fold lines both in 'the assembled and `folded position being shown dotted.

Figure 10 is a view .showing .the flexible cover and ltop rails in the process of .folding the cover, the first fold having been made.

Figure ll shows'the same parts in the condition following the `formation of the second fold.

'Figure 12 shows the pool in the final package ready for shipping or storing.

.Referring to lthe drawings .by numerals,

`each of which is used to indicate thesame or top edges of the canvas on the long side of the pool and two relatively short sections 4--4 supporting the top side ofthe canvas at the short sides or ends of the pool. EX-

ycept for the convenience of 'folding and the desirability of avoiding joints in the top i rails, these sections maybe of any suitable relative proportionsas to their length.

The -top rail Q'as shown in cross section,

Figure 8, is preferably of hollow circular 1 cross section and formed with a longitudinal radial slot 5 at the bottom on the sides of which slot are radial flanges 6 6, to Which the adjacent edges r( of the canvas covering or flexible container 1, are secured by means of rivets 10, or the top rails may be formed and the canvas secured thereto in any convenient manner.

ln the preferred form of the invention Where the flat sheet of fabric is employed as best illustrated in Figure 9, the frame members secured to the edges of the canvas as illustrated in said figure, have these ends 8 of the frame members spaced inwardly from the corners 9 by distance equal in each instance to the height or-depth of the pool when assembled. The top yrail 2 is supported at the meeting ends of the sections 3, 4 in the assembled arrangement of the pool by means of corner uprights 12, which in the preferred form of the invention are tubular and of circular cross section, being slotted longitu din-ally at 14 and the corner flaps 15 of the canvas, i. e., the square portions Which appear in Figures 1 and 2, folded on the diagonal are rolled and inserted therein, the doubled canvas flaps 15 as seen in Figures 1 and 2, projecting through the slots 14 and 16, as shown in Figures 4 and 7, the portion 16 be ing referred to as the corner neck. The top rails 2 are secured and connected at their ends to the corner uprights 12 in the form of the invention shown by means of corner caps or brackets 17, see Figures 6 and 7. These brackets consist each of a cylindrical cap or body member 18, which is preferably of circular cross section and of suitable diameter to fit the top of the corresponding upright 12, and each body member is slotted vertically at 19 to admit the neck 16 of the corresponding corner flap and each head or cap 18 is provided near the top With two projecting members 2O Which are shown substantially at right angles to the airis of the cap and are disposed substantially at right angles to each other preferably on each side of the line ofthe slot 19. ln the assembled position of the frame the bracket members 2O have a telescopic engagement With the ends of the rail section being shown as fitting inside the top rail members 3 and 4, and inserted in the ends of the collar 23 or in anysuitable sockets supe porting the sections and holding them in position. The parts may be further secured by means of cotter pins 29 for which the sections and member 2O are suitably drilled.

The manner of assembling, knocking dovvn and packing of the pool Will be easily Linderstood from the description of the parts thereof and the pool structure.

The canvas cover and top rails being spread flat, as illustrated in Figure 9, tvvo adjacent ends of the members 3 4, are brought together and the corresponding corner ap 15 is folded flat, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. It is then rolled, the outside end 21 forming the center of the roll and the roll is inserted in one of the uprights 12, the neck 16 occupying the longitudinal slot 14 in the upright. Prior to completion of the rolling, the members 2O of the corresponding cap or head 18 may be inserted in the corresponding ends 8 of the top rail sections 3, 4, effecting a telescopic engagement or any holding means provided for this purpose. After engaging the parts 20-8, cotter pins 29 may be inserted, the parts being suitably drilled. Then the top end of the roll 24 is inserted in the cap or head 17. The roll being tightened, the operation is completed by applying the corresponding upright 12, inserting the bottom of the roll therein, pushing the member 12 up into the cap or head 18. The same or any preferred method of assembling is applied to each of the corners successively and when assembling has been completed, the pool is ready to hold the required amount of Water for an indefinite period.

To pack the pool, the pool is knocked down by reversing the process of assembling and the cover and top rail sections are laid flat as shown in Figure 9. The cover and top rails are then folded on the dotted line 25 to the position shown in Figure 10 when the cover is again folded on the dotted line 26. The top rail members having after the first step been laid tvvo and' tWo along the legs of the triangle, are now laid together in parallel as shown in Figure 11, after Which the caps and corner uprights may be laid beside the top rail sections 3 4 and the canvas cover 1 rolled about them as shown in Figure 12.

I have thus described specifically and in detail a pool having a knockdoWn frame and a covering or bag of flexible material embodying the features of the invention in the preferred form, the description being specific and in detail in order that the nature of the same and the preferred manner of constructM ing, operating and using the same may be clearly understood. However, the specific terms herein are used descriptively rather than in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What I claim as nevv and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination in a knock down portable pool structure of a substantially fiat flexible covering and a frame, the frame consisting of top rail sections adapted to be secured to the edges of the fabric, tubular corner uprights slotted longitudinally permitting the corners of the fabric to be rolled and inserted in the uprights, a portion of the fabric connecting the roll to the remainder of the cover extending through the slot and means for removably securing the ends of the'top rail sections to the uprights.

2. The combination in a knock down portable pool structure of a substantially fiat iiexible covering and a frame, the frame consisting of top rail sections adapted to be secured to the edges of the fabric and shorter than the sides of the fabric so the ends can be spaced away from the corners of the fabric, tubular corner uprights slotted longitudinally permitting the corners of the fabric to be rolled and inserted in the uprights, a portion of the fabric connecting the roll to the remainder of the cover eX- tending through the slot and means for removably securing the ends of the top rail sections to the uprights.

3. The combination in a knock down portable pool structure of a substantially flat fabric covering and a frame, the` frame consisting of top rail sections adapted to be secured to the edges of the fabric and shorter than the sides of the fabric ends of the section being spaced away from the corners of the fabric, tubular corner uprights slot ted longitudinally permitting` the corners of the fabric to be rolled and inserted in the uprights, a portion of the fabric connecting the roll to the remainder of the cover eX- tending through the slot and means for removably securing the ends of the top rail sections to the tops of the uprights, said means comprising a member adapted to be removably secured to the top of each upright, said member having portions adapted to engage telescopically the adjacent ends 0f the top rails and the ends of the top rails being formed to receive the same.

et. The combination in a knock down portable pool of a substantially fiat, flexible covering and a frame consisting of hollow top rail sections secured to the edges of the fabric and shorter than said edges so that the ends of the sections may be spaced away `from the corners of the fabric, hollovv corner up flits each having a longitudinal slot in permitting the corner portions of the fabric to be rolled and inserted in the uprights, portion of the fabric connecting the corners to the main body of the fabric eX- tending through said slot and a. top member for each corner upright telescopically engaging the same and having laterally projecting members adapted to engage tel scopically the ends of the adjacent upr s to support the same.

A l-rnoclr down portable pool compris` i, waterproof fabric covering and a frame comprising a hollow top rail formed in separate sections, to which the fabric is secured, hollow corner uprights slotted longitudinally, the corner portions of the fabric being` rolled and inserted in the uprights, portions connecting the rolls to the remainder of the fabric extending through the corresponding slots, a cap for each upright having projections to be inserted in the adjacent top rail sections, the cap being slotted in correspondence With the corner upright to the pass portion of the fabric connecting the roll to the main body of the fabric.

6. A. swimming pool comprising a flat flexible fabric covering and a frame including top rail sections secured to the edges of the cover and shorter than the corresponding sides of the cover so that the ends of the top rail section are spaced away from the corners, the shortest side of the fabric beiner not substantially longer than the longeszJ top rail section permitting` the fabric cover to be folded on the diagonals and the top rail sections to be laid .side by side so that the fabric and cover when thus folded may be rolled about the top rail sections.

7. A pool having a frame and a flexible cover, the frame comprising top rail sections and hollow uprights slotted longitudinally, the cover having flaps which are adapted to be rolled and inserted in the uprights connectino" portions of the fabric between the rolls and the main body of the fabric occupying' the slots.

8. A pool structure comprising a frame and a flexible Waterproof covering, the frame having slotted tubular uprights adapted to receive portions of the cover material folded and rolled and top members for said uprights, also tubular and correspondingly slotted, and cach made to engage telescopica-.Hy the upper end of one of said uprights.

Std-i pool structure comprising` a frame and a iiexible Waterproof covering, the frame having slotted tubular uprights adapted to receive portions of the cover material folded and rolled and top members for said uprights also tubular and correspondingly slotted and each made to engage telescopically one of said uprights, the frame also including' top rail sections, the top members having means for removably securing the ends of the adjacent sections thereto.

10. A pool structure comprising a frame and a flexible Waterproof covering, the frame having slotted tubular uprights adapted to receive portions of the cover material folded and rolled and top members for said uprights also tubular and correspondingly slotted and each made to engage telescopically the upper one of said uprights, the frame also including top rail sections, the top member and the ends of the top rail sections being provided With cooperating telescoping means to snpport the ends of the top rails.

Signed by me at Baltimore, ilaryland, this 13th day of February, 1929.

JAMES l?. HOPER. 

